Elk Grove police dog will be replaced after biting handler
A few months after joining the force, an Elk Grove Village police K-9 will return to the kennel after biting his handler and refusing to let go, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
The 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, named Sem, had to be Tasered to release his bite of officer Eric Perkins. The dog bit Perkins "inadvertently" after completing a field training vehicle search the evening of Feb. 24, Deputy Police Chief Chuck Walsh said in a news release.
Perkins was bitten in the arm, and he is recovering and "receiving the best medical attention," Elk Grove Mayor Craig Johnson said.
The K-9 graduated from service handler school last year in Indiana before hitting the streets, performing narcotic searches of buildings, area searches, tracking and handler protection services. Sem was introduced to the public at a village board meeting Dec. 15.
Officials say the K-9 was medically evaluated and was not harmed by the Taser. The dog was taken out of service for retraining, but a warranty will allow the department to get a replacement that is a "more suitable recruit," Walsh said.
He added that Sem is normally a very social animal and until now responded well to Perkins' commands.
Since biting Perkins, Sem has been sent back to the Indiana kennel where he came from.
Johnson says it is unclear how long it will take to get another K-9 unit trained for the department.
Elk Grove has had police dogs for 15 years, generally employing two K-9 units at a time. Sem was to replace another dog, Kim, an 11-year-old who spent more than seven years with the police department.
Johnson says this is the first time the police department has had an issue with one of their K-9s, and it won't dissuade them from using K-9 units in the future.
Elk Grove now has one K-9 unit in Sem's absence.